Knights Of Columbus Alaska Knights In Action (AKIA)

Title: St Michael 2011 Oktoberfest

Council: 11816

Date: Not specified.

Purpose of activity: This is a yearly event to raise money for our Marc Sternhagen & Irving Munyon College Scholarship fund.

Description: We provide K of C cooked German food and potluck deserts plus live polka music.

This year we also had a silent auction of items provided by parishioners which provided a very nice “boost” to the fund.

Title: Food Programs for Wasilla

Council:  9581, Arctic Madonna

Category: Community

Date: 2/18/2012

Purpose of activity: Conducted numerous events to support our greater Sacred Heart Community to include spaghetti dinners, vegetable gardens, canned food collections, roadway clean-up and food service at the Boys Scout's Winter Jamboree.

Description: The Arctic Madonna Council on numerous occasions took the initiative and opportunity to support our community by performing community service, raising food and by actively engaging the parish for donations.

Over the past year, the Arctic Madonna Council conducted the following events to support our community.

- During the summer of 2011, the Arctic Madonna Council sponsored vegetable gardens on the parish grounds. The council cleaned the garden boxes and made them available to the community to plant and raise vegetable to be donated to the Wasilla Food Pantry. The Knights alone grew and harvested over 100 pounds of vegetables and donated them to the food pantry.
- On two occasions, in June 2011 and October 2011, the Arctic Madonna Knights, along with Knight's family members gathered at the parish and conducted community outreach by cleaning all of the trash and debris for approximately a mile stretch along the road that runs in front of Sacred Heart Church. The Knights gathered over 30 bags of trash in and effort to clean-up our community.
- The Arctic Madonna Council hosted a spaghetti dinner fund raiser for the Wasilla Food Pantry prior to Thanksgiving, 2011. The Knights fed over 100 parishioners and raised $300 and over 200 food items for the food pantry.
- The Arctic Madonna Council volunteered to help serve and feed over 350 Boys Scouts and Scout Masters at the 2012 Boy Scouts of Alaska Winter Jamboree at Mirror Lake, AK. The Knights helped to cook and serve the spaghetti dinner and volunteered their time for set-up and clean-up of the Scouts kitchen.

Title: Essay Contest

Council:  9581, Arctic Madonna

Category: Youth

Date: 12/01/2011

Purpose of activity: The purpose of this activity was to get the youth of our parish involved in someway with the Knights of Columbus and to provide them the opportunity to share their beliefs and support for the Catholic Church. Additionally, it provided an opportunity for our Knights, separated in most cases by many years from those of our youth in the church to garner a better appreciation for the young men and women of the Catholic Church. The essay contest was "The Responsibility of a Catholic Citizen in a Free Society'.

Description: The Arctic Madonna Council decided that we needed to utilize new approaches to reach out to the youth of our parish community. One option that stood out was the KofC Essay Contest on The Responsibility of a Catholic Citizen in a Free Society. We discussed the essay contest at our meetings, agreed upon a prize and began to advertise following all of our weekend Masses at our KofC table, in the parish bulletin and with our Priest announcing the essay contest at the end of Mass. We really wanted to see what kind of response we would get from the youth and looked forward to their responses.

We established the due date for all of the essays as 15 November 2011 and the competed essays were emailed along with the youths registration forms to Grand Knight, a total of seven submissions. Upon receipt of the essays, we gathered them together and read them to the entire council present at the December 2011 meeting. The Knights voted and we decided to select two winners due to the extraordinary effort by these two entrants, Javier Alcina and Jocelin Malone. We were all very impressed by the depth and spirituality these two youth applied to the essay and we awarded them $100 prizes each. The essays were further forwarded to our District Deputy and our Sacred Heart Priest for his use during his homilies.

All in all, the reward of connecting with the youth of the church was match only by the inspirational boost we all received through the thoughts and words from our Catholic Youth. Our Catholic Church is in good hands.

Copies of the two winning essays have been submitted.

Essays: Javier Alcina    Jocelin Malone

Like a Phoenix rising Saint Nicolas Catholic Church built a new 10,000 square feet Pastoral Center, the first new construction since the Diocese’s bankruptcy.  The New Pastoral Center houses new church offices; a conference room, and Religious Education classrooms. The facility boasts a high tech state of the art Local Area Network that can support video teleconferencing and remote education opportunities.

After about a year in planning the project began in April 2011 with the demolition of the old 3,000 square foot RE building.  By its completion the parish now enjoys a 10,000 square foot energy efficient building which can save many thousands of dollars a year due to increase high energy costs.  The new center was dedicated on December 6, 2011, the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of our parish!

St Nicholas is a small but rapidly growing parish of about 400 families. This project resulted in a building valued at 2.1 million dollars, but at a cost of only 1.1 million dollars.

The majority of the volunteer efforts were due to Northern Lights Council Knights, ranging from demolition, heavy equipment operations, construction, and setting up the Local Area Network throughout the classrooms.. Knights also supported the project with over $20,000 of Council donations, as well as funds raised from parish contributions. The Knight’s contributed time-and talent upwards of 8000 Knight- hours were donated, with 15 of our local active 22 members contributing that time. Donations ‘in-kind’ were valued at over $150,000, and the remaining mortgage is now only $585,000 .This truly was a Parish project supported heart-and-soul by the Knights of Columbus.

Category: Community

Purpose of activity: Started as a way to give back to the parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for their support of the Knights and the Parish, the Knights of Columbus annual Lenten Fish Fry provides the opportunity for communal fellowship by sharing a meal, Lenten spiritual enrichment by participating in the way of the cross and community outreach by providing food to those less fortunate.

The 2011 Annual Lenten Fish Dinner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish occurred after the submittal deadline for the 2011 Alaska state service program award nominations (April 1,2011). This program which was again conducted this year (March 30, 2012) was truly miraculous not only for the challenging conditions during the event (loss of power and water) but especially for the amount of food that was donated to help feed those less fortunate. A detail project description and photos follows.

The fifth annual Knights of Columbus Parish Fish Fry began as usual, as the Knights and ladies cut and prepared food for an estimated 300-350 people.  Started by the Knights as a way to give back to the parishioners for all their support, the Lenten dinner was free.  The Knights and several parishioners donated their surplus salmon and halibut from their freezers.  The Knights budgeted $750 for the event, and set out a donation jar to help offset the costs.  The menu included battered deep fried halibut, succulent variations of baked salmon, French fries, fried onion rings, tossed salad, coleslaw, rolls and drinks.  The event was held the last Friday in Lent and folks were able to attend the Stations of the Cross and Benediction as well as the dinner. 

As the Knights surveyed the Miki Center in anticipation of a 5:00 pm start, all seemed in order.  The food was coming out of the kitchen, parishioners were moving toward the tables laden with food and all the planning was paying off. Or was it!

At a little past 5PM, a very loud bang was heard and the emergency lights went on.  High above the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School a large electrical transformer exploded cutting off power to the Church building.  But the Knights marched on, dinner continued to be served.

Ten short minutes later a second loud bang was heard and another transformer exploded cutting power to the school, which supplies water to the Church.  No lights, no hot water, then no water, but the Knights marched on.  Dinner continued to be served by the intrepid Knights and ladies.  The gas fired stove and fryers continued to operate, and the excellent emergency lights of the Miki Center provided safe and ample lighting to the diners.  Over 325 parishioners were served and many commented that this had been the best Fish Fry of them all.

Then the clean-up began.  The ladies began melting the ice intended for the drinks for hot water.  Many packed up smaller items to take to their homes for cleaning, as the fryers were being drained.  The fourteen knights and ten ladies were working in difficult circumstances, but in the finest traditions of the Order they made do.

As twilight began settling in over St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, the true miracle began to unfold.  The amazing collection of the unused food began.  In four trips to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission, the Council was able to donate over $2,000 worth of food out to less fortunate brothers and sisters.  The people at the Mission were extremely grateful and surprised to receive such a large and high quality donation.  The Mission receives no governmental support and depends on area churches to feed the over 200 people who visit each day.  It is a faith based operation.  The donated food included over 200 lbs of fully cleaned and prepared halibut and salmon, gallons of coleslaw, large bags of sliced and unsliced onions, French fries, rolls, tartar sauce and several gallons of unused cooking oil.  We helped fill a near empty pantry.  The Mission in turn was able to feed countless needy people for several weeks.

Thus with a total out of pocket expense of $110.08 and lots of donated fish, the Council was able to feed 325 people and give a great gift to those less fortunate than ourselves.  The Fish Fry was successful, but the donated food was truly miraculous.  No power, no water, satisfied parishioners, and a huge amount of donated food to the less fortunate, miracles do happen.  April 15, 2011 was a very special day.

The Knights outreach hasn’t stopped there.  Inspired by the vision of Past Grand Knight Ryan Fitzpatrick Council 10798 Knights have  continued to contribute to the Anchorage Gospel Mission, Clare House, the Charlie Elder House, the MacAuly Manor, Beans Café, Brother Francis Shelter and the St. Francis Food Pantry.  Contributions exceeded $5,000 and continue to grow.

In this time of need, St. Paul Miki Knights have individually and collectively continued to reach out to our less fortunate brothers and sisters.  From the loud crashing explosions of transformers to the quiet individual donations, the Knights of St. Paul Miki Council stand tall for their community.

Category: Youth

Date: August 20 - September 25, 2012

Purpose of activity:  To perform a complete remodel of the Rummage Room Thrift Shop, a ministry of St. Benedict's Parish, which supports the youth attending Lumen Christi Jr / Sr High School.

Description: On July 28, 2011 planning began for the remodeling of the Rummage Room, a ministry of St. Benedict's Parish, to benefit Lumen Christi Jr/Sr High School. After three weeks of discount sales to help empty the building, and moving the balance of the merchandise into a 40' storage container, the actual remodel started on August 20th.

A large wall, that ran from side to side and divided the former church building in two, was removed, all wood shelving attached to the outside walls was taken down, and two small storage rooms and the bathroom were gutted. Although we were not quite down to bare studs,, we were close. Four large spruce trees, and numerous aspen that were up against the front and sides of the building were removed. After about a week of destruction, the reconstruction began.

Scaffolding was assembled to allow the entire ceiling to be painted. The center of the ceiling is 30' from the floor. A new ADA compliant restroom was built, which included the addition of hot water. The seasonal storage room was doubled in size, and the office supplies / sorting storage area was significantly enlarged. All walls that were paintable received a fresh coat of gloss white, and the wood paneling was cleaned and oiled. The poorly insulated arctic entry had most of the old windows removed, reframed, and then insulated. The entry is now warm and usable for displays. All cracks and seams in the walls were caulked to prevent cold air from migrating into the building, and beautiful new carpeting was installed throughout the entire building. A new asphalt sidewalk extends from the parking lot to the front door of the Rummage Room, making the entire building handicap accessible. In place of three of the old chandeliers that were not working, three 52” ceiling fans now distribute the ceiling heat throughout the building, saving energy and making it more comfortable for volunteers and shoppers.

After the construction was completed, a large amount of new display shelving, along the some of the old shelving, was moved in and put in place for restocking. Since the remodel, business at the Rummage Room has more than doubled, and several days have approached or exceeded $1000.
 

Storage container and dumpster in place.	Wood recycling.	Demolition of wall.
Mary hard at work, scrapping the old padding.	Rich may be dangerous with a power tool.	High level management (DD) at work.	Better check the blueprints.
	Making a cutout for the handicap ramp.		Lets toss a coin.
Mike Moore doing more prep work.
Mixology.	Rich looked better with a tool in his hand.	Shelving and merchandise back in the store.	After removing overgrowth.

 

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Title: Advertising for Vocations in Alaska  Council: 1760  Category: Church  Date: December 2011  Purpose of Activity: Fulfill the scripture “When I was a stranger, you took me in”  Description: Council 1760 came to the aid of the Bishops of Alaska by donating $3,000 of their Bison Hunt Raffle proceeds to Bishop Burns for support of the Alaska Vocations Advertising Fund.

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Title: Parish Breakfast Council: 1760 Category: Community Date: 2nd Sunday of each month May - September Purpose of Activity: Provide a venue for members of the community to get to know each other in a social atmosphere Description: On the second Sunday of each month between September and May Council 1760 serves a breakfast in the Cathedral Parish Hall. It usually consists of pancakes, scrambled eggs, home fries, and sausage. Condiments include salsa, blueberry sauce, and whipped cream. Beverages include coffee and orange juice. Between 80 and 100 people are served at each breakfast. This breakfast is open to everybody. Regular attendees include parishioners from the Cathedral and St Paul’s Catholic churches as well as members of Holy Trinity Episcopalian Church and unaffiliated citizens of Juneau. It is a true Community building event.

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Title: Coats for Kids  Council: 1760  Category: Community  Date: February 2012  Purpose of Activity: Fulfill the scripture “When I was hungry, you clothed me”  Description: In the past Council 1760 has conducted drives to collect cold weather gear for the needy. This year they decided it would give the children a greater sense of self-respect if they were given new coats instead of hand me downs. The council bought 96 new coats (8 boxes: 4 boys and 4 girls) through the Supreme Council's “Coats for Kids” program and donated them to the Catholic Community Services to be distributed to needy kids throughout Southeast Alaska.

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Title: Renovations of Parish Hall and Mary Joyce Room

Description: The shoddy appearance of the walls in the Parish Hall and the Mary Joyce Room in the basement of the Cathedral bothered the members of Council 1760 so they sent their Grand Knight (Robert Tonkin) to ask permission from Father Pat Casey to do something about it. After getting Fr. Casey’s permission, GK Tonkin led a group of Knights to share their God given talents to repaint both areas. The council also co-ordinated the purchase and installation of new carpeting in the Mary Joyce Room which suffered from an increased use over last few years. These much needed face lifts contributed to making several successful events even more pleasant.

Title: Annual Parish Picnic

Description: Knights of Columbus Council 1760 again hosted this year’s Parish Picnic. The picnic took place at Sandy Beach. Despite heavy rain 55 parishioners were in attendance. The Knights provided the beverages (hot coffee, cold sodas, and bottled water) as well as the meats (hamburgers and hotdogs barbecued on site by the Knights). Parishioners brought side dishes and desserts. Activities were available for the kids.

Title: Glory Hole Soup Kitchen Monthly Meal

Feeling this was not doing enough, Council 1760 decided to conduct a “Food for Families” Drive which raised over 1500 pounds of food.

Title: Family Movie Nights at the Parish Hall

Title: Pro-Life Rally on the Juneau Capitol Steps

Bishop Burns leads a prayer

People attending the Rally

People attending the Rally

KofC Banner proudly on display

Bishop with students

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Title: Parish Religious Education Equipment Enhancement

Description: Seeing the unacceptably ragged condition of the learning aids and furniture used by the Cathedral Parish Religious Education department, council 1760 raised and donated $1,000 to replace these items. Now the children of the Parish are fully engaged in learning about our Catholic religion.